Pretoria - Colonel Fiona Hawkins is just over 1,5m tall and the perfect epitome of the age-old adage: dynamite comes in small packages.
She is a bomb disposal specialist of the South African Police Service with gigantic responsibilities, including making sure venues are “swept” for explosives before VIPs enter.
As South Africa celebrates Women’s Month, the SAPS is flaunting its finest women, celebrating the significant strides made in government’s endeavour to improve the livelihoods of women and girls.
A childhood dream came true when Hawkins joined the police 20 years ago as a student constable.
“I always wanted to become a police woman and be part of the action in the fight against crime in our country. My height was a challenge, and I kept on applying until I was finally accepted in 2002,” said Hawkins.
She knew from the onset that she was meant for an exciting career within the SAPS and completed the tactical policing course at the Maleoskop Training Centre immediately after she completed basic police training in 2002. Despite her diminutive stature, Hawkins was crystal clear that office work was not her cup of tea.
She vividly recalls the day she was recruited to join the Explosive Section in 2004 while still based at SAPS Stilfontein in the North West province.
She then went on to complete the basic bomb technician course that same year and made history when she became the first woman of colour within the SAPS to be a qualified bomb technician.
It is now 18 years since that landmark, and Hawkins is still within the police’s explosives section environment.
Hawkins is currently one of only two female members rendering explosives control in Gauteng province alongside their male counterparts.
As Hawkins steadily rose through the ranks, she continued to develop both her passion for policing and rendering explosive control. She obtained a National Diploma in Policing in 2006 and further went on to obtain a B-Tech degree in Policing while completing various courses within the Service.
These courses, among others, include Bomb Data System; Chemical, Biological and Radioactive Counter Measure; Electronics course for Bomb Technicians; Basic course in Robotics; Post Blast Investigation course for Crime Scene Managers; and various refresher courses to hone her skills as a passionate bomb disposal specialist.
In 2019, Hawkins was promoted to the rank of Colonel and appointed as commander of the explosives section in Gauteng, under the component of Criminal Record and Crime Scene Management (CR & CSM).
As the section commander, SAPS said Hawkins oversees the rendering of explosives control, bomb disposal, explosives auditing and destruction in the province.
The section also attends to all incidents whereby explosives may be recovered and hazardous substances are involved. Support is also provided to the SAPS’ Very Important Person (VIP) unit by conducting sweeping actions when required.
That section played an integral role during the Covid-19 pandemic in ensuring SAPS buildings were decontaminated to contain the deadly virus. The SAPS said Hawkins and her team worked almost around the clock.
Besides being a fearless bomb disposal specialist, Hawkins is also a loving mother to her 30-year-old son. She also loves spending time with family and is also an amateur make-up artist and photographer in her spare time.
The SAPS has paid tribute to Colonel Hawkins, saluting her as a ‘game changer’ in her field of expertise.
For her parting shot, Hawkins said “nerves of steel” are crucial if anyone wishes to walk in her shoes.
“You need to have a strong mindset, ‘nerves of steel’ and a craving for adrenaline to pursue this career path,” she signed out.
Women’s Month in South Africa commemorates on August 9, 1956, when over 20 000 South African women – coming from all backgrounds and cultures – staged a march to the Union Buildings in Pretoria to protest against the abusive pass laws.
The celebrated 1956 Women’s March played a vital role in women becoming more visible participants in the anti-apartheid struggle.
IOL